HTML <form> Tag
Example
A simple HTML form with two input fields and one submit button:<form action="http://xhtml.co.il/tryit/html/html_form_submit_736.php"> First name: <input type="text" name="fname" value="Mickey" /> Last name: <input type="text" name="lname" value="Mouse" /> <input type="submit" value="Submit" /> </form>
Definition and Usage
The <form> tag is used to create an HTML form for user input.
A form can contain input elements like text fields, checkboxes, radio-buttons, submit buttons and more. A form can also contain select menus, textarea, fieldset, legend, and label elements.
Forms are used to pass data to a server.
Browser Support
The
<form> tag is supported in all major browsersDifferences Between HTML and XHTML
NONETips and Notes
Note: The form element is a block-level element, and creates a line break before and after itself.
Required Attributes
DTD indicates in which HTML 4.01/XHTML 1.0 DTD the attribute is allowed. S=Strict, T=Transitional, and F=Frameset.
| Attribute | Value | Description | DTD |
|---|---|---|---|
| action | URL | Specifies where to send the form-data when a form is submitted | STF |
Optional Attributes
| Attribute | Value | Description | DTD |
|---|---|---|---|
| accept | MIME_type | Specifies the types of files that can be submitted through a file upload | STF |
| accept-charset | charset | Specifies the character-sets the server can handle for form-data | STF |
| enctype | application/x-www-form-urlencoded multipart/form-data text/plain | Specifies how form-data should be encoded before sending it to a server | STF |
| method | get post | Specifies how to send form-data | STF |
| name | name | Specifies the name for a form | TF |
| target | _blank _self _parent _top framename | Deprecated. Specifies where to open the action URL | TF |
Standard Attributes
Тег<form> поддерживает следующие стандартные атрибуты:| Attribute | Value | Description | DTD |
|---|---|---|---|
| class | classname | Specifies a classname for an element | STF |
| dir | rtl ltr | Specifies the text direction for the content in an element | STF |
| id | id | Specifies a unique id for an element | STF |
| lang | language_code | Specifies a language code for the content in an element | STF |
| style | style_definition | Specifies an inline style for an element | STF |
| title | text | Specifies extra information about an element | STF |
| xml:lang | language_code | Specifies a language code for the content in an element, in XHTML documents | STF |
More information about Standard Attributes.
Event Attributes
The<form> tag supports the following event attributes:| Attribute | Value | Description | DTD |
|---|---|---|---|
| onclick | script | Script to be run on a mouse click | STF |
| ondblclick | script | Script to be run on a mouse double-click | STF |
| onmousedown | script | Script to be run when mouse button is pressed | STF |
| onmousemove | script | Script to be run when mouse pointer moves | STF |
| onmouseout | script | Script to be run when mouse pointer moves out of an element | STF |
| onmouseover | script | Script to be run when mouse pointer moves over an element | STF |
| onmouseup | script | Script to be run when mouse button is released | STF |
| onkeydown | script | Script to be run when a key is pressed | STF |
| onkeypress | script | Script to be run when a key is pressed and released | STF |
| onkeyup | script | Script to be run when a key is released | STF |
| onreset | script | Script to be run when a form is reset | STF |
| onsubmit | script | Script to be run when a form is submitted | STF |
More information about Event Attributes.
More examples
Example 1
Form with checkboxes: A form with two checkboxes, and a submit button.<form action="http://xhtml.co.il/tryit/html/checkboxes.php" method="get"> <input type="checkbox" name="vehicle[]" value="Bike" /> I have a bike <input type="checkbox" name="vehicle[]" value="Car" checked="checked" /> I have a car <input type="submit" value="Submit" /> </form>
Example 2
Form with radiobuttons: A form with two radio buttons, and a submit button.<form action="http://xhtml.co.il/tryit/html/radio.php" method="get"> <input type="radio" name="sex" value="Male" /> Male <input type="radio" name="sex" value="Female" checked="checked" /> Female <input type="submit" value="Submit" /> </form>
Example 3
Send e-mail from a form: How to send e-mail from a form.<form action="mailto:someone@example.com" method="post" enctype="text/plain"> Name: <input type="text" name="name" size="20" /> Email: <input type="text" name="email" size="20" /> Comment: <input type="text" name="comment" size="40" /> <input type="submit" value="Send" /> <input type="reset" value="Reset" /> </form>
Was this information helpful?
